Get ready for a photo overload (and lots of Darby).
Last weekend we packed up the Polo and made our final trek down to the beautiful Toscana region. From the first time we visited the area, I knew it would always hold a special place in my heart. Its beauty has never disappointed and it has always been a place of relaxation and rejuvenation for us. We thought it only made sense to visit one last time before we made the move back to America.
We rented a small cottage in a super tiny town about 25 minutes from Siena. The town had a population of about 7 (not even kidding), and they happily let the pup have the run of the land. She was in heaven. Ralph and I enjoyed cooking on the outdoor grill/oven while watching her run circles around the property.
During the day, we visited a few close towns, tasted some wine, but mostly just relaxed. The trip was exactly what the doctor ordered. I'll always remember how incredibly blessed I have been to live so close to such an amazing area.
Darby loves to ride in the back window (what do you call that area?) and look out at what we're passing. She always barks at motorcycles, but overall she loves road trips. Also, note the ridiculous amount of dog hair on the back seats…needless to say, we get the car detailed after every trip. Thank goodness for industrial vacuums.
The closest "big" town to our cottage was about a 15 minute drive away, but it had the only grocery store around. When we first went, we forgot about riposo and arrived while everything was closed, so I took the moment as a great opportunity to take a few pictures.
It was pretty neat to walk around while the streets were so empty. Since it has been such nice weather here, all the windows were open and we could hear the lunch time conversations and noises happening within the houses. Pots and pans clanging and families laughing made me view and appreciate riposo in a new light.
Getting our outdoor stove going was a little tricky. We had a tiny bit of wood, but no kenneling, and matches that didn't light. Being the Super Ranger Ralph that he is, the hubs decided to use his other resources and try to light a smaller stick on the gas stove inside. The owner of the cottage walked up juuuust as Ralph was running outside to the chimney with a flaming piece of wood. All he said was "…..tutto bene?"
After explaining the situation in my terrible Italian and with the help of some hand gestures, he left (laughing) to get us some more wood, kenneling, and a lighter. We ended up cooking outside each night because it was so delicious!
As I mentioned earlier, Darby had an absolute blast running around. She chased birds, greeted hikers, barked at the wind… The dog was made for a farm. (Look at those ears!! haha)
She is obsessed with the frisbee and with the perfect amount of wind we could really throw it far for her. I don't think she would have stopped playing had Ralph not gotten tired of throwing it.
On our second day there, we drove around the area looking for some vino to drink with our dinner. One vineyard had these awesome painted rocks. Along with this one, there were other paintings of roosters and paintings of people working the fields. I thought they were really neat!
If I had my way, we would have been pulling over every two minutes so that I could take some pictures. However, Ralph said no way José, so I had to resort to shooting while he drove slower. I will never get over how beautiful I think that region is.
When she isn't playing with her frisbee, Darby is playing with her tennis balls. I hate that she isn't in focus in these pictures, but I think they are a hilarious depiction of how crazy that pup is about catching her toys.
She doesn't miss many...
On the second night, we thought it was only fitting to have a bistecca fiorentina. We got strict cooking instructions from the butcher and it turned out perfect! (Only five minutes on each side! No more, no less!) We grilled some bread with olive oil and fresh rosemary, and made a salad topped with some balsamic and fig vinegar. It was delicious!
On our last full day, we had some beautiful sunny weather, so the Pilot and Co Pilot drove me to Siena. We went to Siena the first weekend we had Darby, so it was kind of funny to go back and say things like "remember how she was terrible here…", and "remember how we had to carry her up this hill because she wouldn't walk". This go around she was the perfect little dog.
Again, things weren't quite open when we arrived so we stuck around in the square and people watched for a while. I'm pretty sure Darby knew exactly how many people were in the square at any given moment. And it was all she could do to keep from herding them.
On our first trip to the Siena we somehow missed the duomo. It has a really impressive façade, and we took a rest on the steps right as the noontime bells were ringing.
I'm impressed that I actually remembered to have Ralph take a picture of me. You tend to forget when you're behind the lens.
For lunch we had the fanciest prosecco ever, while tucked away in a quiet alley. We decided we had picked a pretty good place to eat when the owners joyfully greeted a contessa at the door. (She was dressed so fancy, we should have offered her some prosecco.)
I usually can't pass up a wild boar ragu, so when I saw pappardelle al ragu di cinghiale on the menu, I knew I'd be ordering the fresh pasta dish. And it didn't disappoint.
Ralph ordered the ravioli with ricotta, spinach (I think) and duck sauce. He said it was also pretty tasty. I am going to miss the delicious fresh pasta we have here!
After lunch, we walked around a little more (had to work off that pasta!), making one last pass through the main square before heading back home.
On the way to the car, Ralph grabbed a cone of gelato, and Darby very politely asked him to share it with her. She has a few friends around Vicenza who give her cones and now she expects anyone who has gelato to share with her. Thankfully her daddy thinks she's cute enough and gave her the final bite.
Revisiting Siena was the perfect way for us to finish up our trip to Tuscany. We will definitely miss the area only being a quick drive away, but the time we've spent there has always been amazing.
Until next time, Tuscany…
Beautiful Pictures, yet again! I am glad to see one of you ;)
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